1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to refuse receptacle devices, and to a funnel device for holding leaf/refuse bags to a receptacle, box or can and facilitating the raking or sweeping of leaves and other refuse into a bag within the can.
2. Background of the Art
Leaf bags or trash bags are well known and commonly used for the collection and disposal of leaves and other types of refuse from lawns and other generally flat areas from which leaves are raked or swept and placed in bags. To reduce their cost and bulk, such leaf or trash bags are typically made of thin plastic material with sufficient tensile strength to hold low density materials such as leaves or paper. These bags will not stand alone when empty and must be supported in some manner for filling. Although bags can be held open by hand, this approach is very inefficient and can be very frustrating when a single person is attempting to fill bags. It is even more desirable to be able to rake or sweep leaves and other refuse into a bag with the bag lying flat, and it is almost impossible for a single person to hold a bag open by hand while raking or sweeping refuse into it.
Various approaches have been attempted in an effort to address the problem of supporting a bag in an open position for filling, with varying degrees of success. Placing a bag inside an existing trash can or box will provide some support for the bag and allow it to be filled from the top. This approach does not readily accommodate raking or sweeping refuse into the bag. The weight of leaves in the bag will often pull the bag from its support around the lip of the can, such as a twenty-gallon or thirty-gallon garbage can.
A number of devices have been devised for the specific purpose of holding or supporting a leaf or trash bag while it is filled, but all such devices known in the prior art have disadvantages or drawbacks. One such device comprises a rigid structure with a pair of centrally pivoting legs, designed to fold flat for storage and to support a bag suspended between the legs when open. The only means of adjustment for bags of differing sizes is the degree to which the legs are pivoted open, which can result in excessive force against the top of the bag and tearing of the bag. This device is useable only in an upright position, and does not securely hold the bag in place to prevent slipping. In addition, a filled bag can be difficult to remove from between the legs of the device without tearing the bag.
Another device is formed as a flexible, shape retentive plastic sheet that can be rolled into a cylinder and placed inside a bag. When the rolled sheet is released it partially unrolls until constrained by the bag, so that the force of the sheet against the inside of the bag holds it in an open, generally cylindrical form. When the bag is filled, the sheet is slipped from the open end of the bag. Although a bag opened with this device can be placed on its side for filling, only a small area is in contact with the ground because of the cylindrical form, and raking or sweeping material into the bag is difficult. Use of this device can be cumbersome for a single person because it is necessary to hold the rolled sheet to prevent it from unrolling while, at the same time, holding the bag open and inserting the rolled sheet into the bag. This device will accommodate different sized bags, although the force holding and supporting the bag will vary and the bag may slip along the sheet and become disengaged during handling and filling. Examples of such flexible supports are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,033 (Gibson); U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,679 (Lonczak); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,011 (Rylander).
Yet another device includes a body with a funnel-like opening with a large throat to which a bag can be attached. Various of these embodiments are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,860 (Singleton); U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,779 (Green); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,518 (Holthaus). In one of these embodiments, the body of the structure is supported by legs so that the bag can be hung from the body, secured by clips, between the legs or with the legs in the interior of the bag. The bag is then filled from the top. In some variations the bag and support structure may be placed on the ground, either with or without the legs, so that leaves, etc. can be raked or swept into the bag, but the design of the body does not facilitate use in a horizontal orientation and it can be difficult to push leaves, etc. through the opening to fully fill the bag. These structures are of rigid construction with no provision for adjustment to accommodate bags of different sizes. In addition, they are relatively large and bulky, and require a significant amount of storage space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,622 (Gordon) describes a bag support system with a locking mechanism to keep the bag secured to the top of the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,872 (Nugent) shows a semi-rigid metal rod system for supporting lawn bags in which metal rods may be attached and detached from each other to allow for accommodation and securing of bags, with overlapping rods securing bags within the structure. The ends of certain rods may be inserted into the ground to provide stability to the system.
In spite of the numerous designs and structure for such bagging systems, no one bagging system is believed to provide the optimal capability for leaf raking and improvements are desirable.